BLOG: 10 Things Not To Buy On Black Friday
By Jim Donovan: When it comes to Black Friday shopping, the editors at dealnews certainly know their stuff. dealnews researchers scour over 2,000 online retailers and tens of thousands of deals each day throughout the year. In advance of Black Friday they also dig deep into their database to look at historical data regarding holiday sales. Even though many product categories will see new all-time low prices, not everything will be a good purchase on Black Friday. In some cases dealnews finds that you would be better off skipping certain deals and waiting for a better offer later on in the coming year.
Here are 10 items that dealnews editor Emily Dovi found are NOT worth buying this Black Friday.
Toys
While many toys will likely be discounted for Black Friday, and it may feel pretty good to get your shopping done early, you won't love that sinking feeling you'll get when you see those toys discounted for less about two weeks before Christmas.
Game Consoles Without Bundled Items
You're likely to get more bang for your buck by opting for consoles that come with a few extras. dealnews finds in years past, the vast majority of Editors' Choice console deals went to holiday bundles that included premium accessories and two or three game titles. These were frequently discounted 30% to 40% off their retail prices.
Brand Name HDTV's
dealnews says don't expect the best deals to be tagged with name brands. Typically, the rock-bottom prices will mostly apply to third-tier manufacturers. Instead, brand name TVs tend to see their best price of the year in January and February as manufacturers look to clear stock in preparation for new models in the spring.
Digital Cameras
Premium current-generation models are just a few months away from being replaced by a new line of 2013 options. If you're eyeing a brand new digital SLR, dealnews recommends waiting until February or later when it becomes an "old model," resulting in more aggressive discounts from retailers.
Christmas Decorations
Christmas decor tends to end up in-cart on impulse buys. Sure, that string of lights or holiday wreath might be on sale, but deals on Christmas items get better the closer we get to the holiday itself — and of course are the best after the holiday.
Office Supplies
Office supply stores like Office Depot and Office Max have released Black Friday ads in the hopes of encouraging an uptick in business. Unfortunately, these deals are generally no better than those that dealnews sees throughout the rest of the year.
Jewelry
dealnews is flagging this accessories category "Do Not Buy" for the entire holiday season. While there will be lots of sales the discounts around the winter holidays are no better than those around Valentine's Day. Instead dealnews says consider holding off until the spring and summer.
Winter Apparel
For Black Friday you'll likely see some of the best apparel coupons of the year from a variety of retailers. However, if winter apparel is on your list, it's smarter to hold off until January, when those items are added to clearance sales that take much deeper base discounts.
Apple iPad mini
If the mini follows the price pattern of its distant predecessor, the first generation iPad, it won't see a discount until several months from now.
Microsoft Surface RT Tablet
dealnews predicts that Microsoft might only offer a marginal deal on the Surface this season. But if Surface sales are weak, the tablet may instead go the way of the BlackBerry PlayBook wherein its price may fall considerably by the spring
For more information visit: www.dealnews.com
